Folding cot



l. C. PEWTHER.

`FOLDING 60T. APPLICATION FILED DCL-4 1920.

Patented May 24,1921.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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J. C. PEWTHEBJ v FOLDING COT.

` APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, 1920.

1,379,286. Patented May 24,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

j. C. PEWTHER.

FOLDING COT.

APPLICATION HLED ocT.4.192o.

Patented May24,1921.

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UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

FOLDENG COT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1921.

Application filed October 4, 1320. Serial No. 414,573.

To all w71 om t may concern:

Be it known that l, Jonson C. Fnwr-rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Cots; and l do declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the invention', such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in folding' cots, beds and the like, and more particularly to those which may be folded into a compact bundle for carryingor for storage, and the principal object of the invention is to provide an extremely light and simple folding cot which, when open for use, will support an extremely heavy person without injury. l

A further object is to provide a pair of side frames extending throughout the length of the body support, whereby to effectively support the latter, said frames however being foldable onto said body support and being formed of pivotally connected sections so that said support may then be folded on transverse lines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of cross rods for connecting the two side frames and normally holding them absolutely rigid for use, said rods however being releasable so that the frames may fold when necessary.

Yet another object is to provide a folding cot in which the body support is formed of a single sheet of canvas or like material, and to make novel provision for stretching this material tightly when the cot is unfolded for use.

A still further object is to provide a folding structure which maybe constructed for the most part of light metal rods bent and coiled to form the several parts of the frame structure.

With the foregoing andminor objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a perspective view of a folding cot constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the same set up for use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the cot, illustrating` more particularly the arrangement of cross rods for holdingV the side'f'rames in properly spaced relation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating all of the cross rods released to permit folding of the cot.

Fig. Ll is a plan view showing the side frames swung outwardly and the several sections of the cross rods arranged in orderly fashion', preparatory to folding of said side frames upon the body of the support.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1l, but showing the lside frames folded onto the body support.

F ig. 6 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. l.

In the drawings above briefly described1 the numerals l and l designate a pair of elongated side frames which are normally disposed vertically to hold the body support 2 in condition for use, said support being preferably but not necessarily in the form of a sheetl of canvas or like material. Fegardless of the exact construction, the support 2 is foldable several times on transverse lines as will be hereinafter explained. l/Vhen canvas or the lilreis used in manufacturingl the support 2, the latter' is preferably attached to the side frames l and l bylacings 3 extending' through appropriate eyes Ll with which the support is provided.

Both of the side frames l and l are preferably of the same construction and as an example of one of the numerous ways in which said frames may be manufactured, l' have shown each one of them constructed of plurality of inverted L-shaped rods and an arched rod 6, the horizontal portions T of said rods 5 being coiled at their free ends to provide bearings 8 which pivotally receive the vertical portions or legs 9 of the ladjacent rods. The several horizontal portions T of the rods 5 and corresponding portion l0 of the rod G, cooperate in forming sectional side rails supporting the body support 2 and pivotally connected on axes which are normally vertical. These side rails are rotatable in the means which connect them with the support 2, in the present instance, said means being in the form of the lacings 5l. rlhis permits the two frames l and l to be folded inwardly onto the body support .2 as shown in F ig. 5, thereby allowing the entire cot to be compaotly folded for carrying.

To normally prevent inward folding of the frames l and l and to also prevent any pivotal movement of the several sections of said frames with respect to each other, I provide a plurality of uniform cross rods 12 and a pair of slightly different cross rods 13, the rods 12 being pivotally connected with the several sections of the side frames 1 and 1 by any suitable means, such for instance, as bearings 14 which receive the several vertical legs of said sections and are supported by collars or the like 15. Bearings 111 may well be formed by ceiling the ends of the connecting rods as shown. The rods 13 are connected with the endmost legs above the bearings 14:, preferably by means of other bearings 16 as shown. VIt is with these rods `13, that the ends of the body support 2 are connected detachably, by hooks 17 or any other adequate means, and although said rods 13 are formed of two sections detachably connected at theircenters,

beyond dead center.

the joints are such that said rods cannotI swing inwardly. The connections between the two half sections of the rods 13 are the same as vthe connections employed between Vthe halves of the rods 1 2 and hence the same reference characters have been applied to all of these parts. One half of each cross rod is bent laterally at its free end to provide a pin 1S while the corresponding end ofthe other rod half is coiled to form an eye 19 adapted to detachably receive said pin, and bent beyond `the eye to provide a hook 20 which engages the first mentioned rod half, whereby to normally hold the pin in the eye when the rod sections are forced slightly the opposite directions however the hooks 2O are disengaged so that the pins 1S may be withdrawn from the eyes 19, by relatively shifting the opposite halves of the cross rods. This permits such halves to be folded into longitudinal relation with the side frames 1 and 1 as will be clear by reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Y

When the side frames 1 and 1 are vertically disposed as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and the several cross rods are properly connected (see Figs. '2 and 6) the rcot is in position for use and will effectively support a very heavy person. By disconnecting the several sections of the cross rods however, and disengaging the hooks 17 from the rods 13, the device is in fo-ldable condition. kThe side Vfra-mes 1 and 1 are then swung outwardly flat upon the floor, ground, or other support, as shown in Fig. a, whereupon the several cross rod sections are swung into longitudinal relation with said frames, thereby allowing said frames and rod sections to be orderly folded onto the body support 2 as illustrated in Fig. 5. This having been done, said body support may be folded several times on transverse lines, the bearings 8 and the legs 9 then forming pivotal connections between the several sections of the frames. The device may be folded By pulling the rods in several times in the same direction, or alternately in opposite directions, and in either instance, it will produce a compact bundle which may be easily carried, the approximate weight of a complete cot being only about 35 pounds, whereas its supporting capacity is in the neighborhood of 200 pounds.

To extend the cot for use, a reversal of the operation above described is of course carried out and it will be observed that when the opposed sections of the cross rods 12 and 18 are pivotally connected with each other at an angle and then straightened and forced beyond the dead center, they will become rigid, the hooks 2O serving as stops to limit their movement in the last named direction, as well as forming means to prevent possible disengagement of thel pins 18 from the eyes 19. lt will be observed that when the rods are connected and forced into operative position, in the manner above set forth, they will serve to forcibly spread the two side frames 1 and 1, thereby tightly stretching the canvas or other body support 2 so that it will sag only a small amount, which amount will fnot permit said support to strike the cross rods, due to the fact that the latter Vare bowed downwardly at their central portions, as shown for instance in Fig. 6.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that although l have provided an eX- tremely simple and inexpensive folding cot, it will be highly eflicient and durable, Vand in every way desirable, and since probably the best results may be `obtained from the details disclosed, such details may well be followed. l wish it understood however that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may well be made.

l claim:

1. A foldable cot comprising a body support foldable on transverse lines, a pair o side rails rotatably connected to said body support and formed of leg supportedosections pivoted together on normally vertical axes, and releasable means for"normally holding the two rails againstl either rotary or pivotal movement, said `rails ybeing rotatable upon releaseV of said holding means to dispose their pivots horizontally for folding. Y

2'. A foldable cot comprising a body support foldable on transverse lines, anda pair of side rails rotatably connected with said body support, said rails being formed of pivotally connected sections whose pivots are inactive when positioned vertically but operative when said pivots are horizontally positioned by turning the rails.

3. A foldable cot comprising aV body support foldable on transverse lines, a pair of siderails connected rotatably to said body no l.

support and formed of a plurality of sections pivoted together on normally vertical axes, and means for normally holding the rail sections against movement on their pivots but for permitting such movement when the rails are turned to dispose said pivots horizontally.

4l. A foldable cot comprising a body support foldable on transverse lines, a pair of side rails ,rotatably connected to said body support and formed of leg supported seetions pivoted together on normally vertical axes, and releasable cross rods extending between the two rails for normally holding them against either rotary or pivotal movement7 said rails being rotatable upon release of said cross rods to dispose their pivots horizontally for folding.

5. A foldable cot comprising a body support Jfoldable on transverse lines, a pair of side rails rotatably connected to said body support and formed of leg supported seetions pivoted together on normally vertical axes, and Cross rods hinged to said rail seetions for normally holding them against either rotary or pivotal movement, said cross rods being formed of detaehably eonnested halves oldable to longitudinal positions when released, whereupon said rails may be turned to dispose their pivots horizontally for folding.

(3. A oldable Cot comprising a body support oldable on transverse lines, a pair of side rails connected rotatably with said body support and formed of a plurality oi" leg supported sections pivoted together, releasable Cross rods extending between said side rails to prevent pivotal and rotary move ment thereof, and means for releasably oonneeting the ends of said body support with the endmost cross rods.

7. A folding cot comprising a body support7 a pair of side frames :tor supporting said bodysupport, each frame comprising a plurality of inverted L-shaped bars Whose free upper ends are pivoted to adj aeent bars adjacent the angles of the latter, means for holding said frames rigid for use, and means rotatably Connecting the horizontal portions oi' said bars with said body support.

8. A folding cot eomprisinof a body support7 a pair of side frames ftr supporting said body support, each frame comprising a plurality of inverted L-shaped bars whose free upper ends are provided with bearings pivotally receiving the vertical portions of adjacent bars, means for holding said frames rigid for use, and means for rotatably connecting the horizontal portions of said bars with said body support.

9. A foldable eot comprising a body support foldable on transverse lines, foldable side frames supporting said body support, and spacing rods extending between said side frames and each formed of two halves pivoted to said frames at their outer ends, one halt of each rod having its inner end bent laterally to form a pin, the other rod half being coiled to provide an eye removably receiving said pin and being bent beyond said eye to form a hook to embrace said one halt7 whereby to hold the two halves in rigid relation with each other.

l0. A folding eot comprising a pair of foldable side frames, a flexible body-supporting sheet secured at its edges to said side frames, rod sections pivoted to and eX- tending inwardly from said side frames, interengaging pivot means on the inner ends of said rod sections whereby opposed rod sections of the side frames may be connected at an angle and then forced slightly past alinement to spread said frames and stretch the aforesaid sheet, and means for limiting this movement of the rod sections.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand. v

JUDSON C. PEWTHER. 

